Having coached most of his players for the past two years, coach Brian Smela feels good about the talent base that he has in the program. How exactly that will translate on the varsity level is still unclear, to be honest. What Smela does have back from a playoff team a year ago is a good base of returners and a host of players who earned some stripes over the summer.

It's a group that starts with sophomore Adam Baumann, who will move into a few critical roles for the Mountain Lions. Smela said they protected him from the three-hole in the order, but he'll take it this year. Baumann will also go from being No. 2 in the rotation to the ace. For Smela, there are no reservations about how Baumann will react.

"I think he's ready. Physically, he's a lot stronger than he was last year," Smela said. "He's gotten that sophomore bounce physically, and I think he gained a lot of confidence from football season, as well. He's got good stuff. That's the most important thing. He's got the stuff to go out there and throw as an ace, which he did this summer."

The Lions will also be aided by the returns of seniors Justin Dennis, Kollin Evens and Alec Suarez, as well as junior Skyler Christensen. Smela expects the strong summers of Dakota Shea-Shelly, Ozzie Pearcy, Hunter Porterfield and Jarred Klug to transfer to the varsity lineup in terms of production.

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While Suarez slides in as the second starter, lefties Pearcy and Porterfield and righty Klug will battle it out early to fill the roles of third starter and relievers. Smela feels the lineup has depth and versatility, which has led to competition for positions. He also feels it will be a strong defensive team, but he's not ready to put labels or limits on the group.

"I think the idea of competing for a playoff spot, that's what we do every year," Smela said. "I think it's very realistic for this group to think that they can do that. The game is different this year. We only have three automatic spots and a wild-card system. I think it's a good group, and if they work hard and pitch and catch the ball, they've got a good chance to be a playoff team."

Loveland

Taking on the task of changing the ideas and expectations surrounding the program is a huge first step, but the attitude Jake Marshall has seen develop among his players has him encouraged.

"The best thing that's coming out with this group is the want and desire to win," Marshall said of a program that has not been a postseason regular the past decade. "They want to change the direction of LHS baseball."

The Indians would like to do it in a hurry, and Marshall thinks that will be a key for the lineup this year. He's had speed in the past, but noted it was generally on the bench. Now, it runs up and down the lineup and if they can get on, Marshall believes the Indians can use it to not only steal bases but victories, with a handful of starters he thinks can steal 15 bases this season. There isn't a ton of power in the lineup, so the Indians will have to utilize the quickness guys like Ryan McCloughan, Greg Hecker, JC Schneider, Marcus Velasquez, Jay Larson and Jake Weinmaster possess from the batter's box to the baselines. The Indians also need John Tower and Anthony Fernandez to produce at the plate.

"It's going to be huge," he said. "In years past, we couldn't use it. We had a mediocre offense that didn't have any speed. If we had a pitcher shut us down, we didn't have any other weapons. This year, we have a Plan B. We can play small ball."

The pitching will be anchored by Alec Hansen, who has already signed with Oklahoma. While the big right-hander has always been blessed with tons of potential and a dominant fastball, Marshall is a firm believer this will be the year Hansen puts it all together and can control himself, and in turn the opposition, for a complete game. Schneider should slide into the No. 2 slot, with Larson, McCloughan Quinn Konitchek, Seth Barnhardt and KC Pomponio filling out the bullpen.

Thompson Valley

After spending the past few years slugging away in the Northern Conference with a veteran lineup, the Eagles will have to take a much different approach this spring. Coach Jay Denning has a handful of returning starters, but the meat of the lineup is gone and he is dealing with an injury component on the hill.

"Dramatically different," Denning said. "We're not going to be playing gorilla ball, so to speak. It will be very much a fast pace, moving people, trying to produce runs to keep you in games. Offensively, it will be how do we get guys in scoring position and how do we capitalize on those opportunities." Thompson Valley had a good run in the summer, but the beginning of the spring has already brought bad news. Denning liked the promise of his outfield, but Jason Cox will miss at least six weeks with a broken foot, and Brady Soucek will be out at least four with a shoulder fracture. There will be some varsity experience back with Jesse Shaw, Garrett Smith, Sam Hardy and Trevon Yep, all of whom will carry bigger varsity burdens than they did a season ago.

Smith is expected to see time on the hill, as is Shaw, but both will have to build up arm strength coming off basketball season. The Eagles are hoping to line everybody up behind Teague McFadden. McFadden threw well in the summer, but he is coming off ACL surgery. Denning likes the fact he has a veteran backstop in D.J. Grine to catch them.

"Spring time is a different animal, so we'll see how that goes," he said. "It's a question mark to how well he bounces back from pretty major surgery and how much endurance he has. It's not a question about Teague himself, but how is he getting on the mound after his injury, and who is going to show up behind him."

Berthoud

Coach Buddy Kouns isn't sure his team has a standout as the Spartans jump up into Class 4A in the Tri-Valley Conference. He's also not sure that is a bad thing, because he feels he'll field a group of solid baseball players who each can play their role.

"We don't have one real major standout kid, but we have a lot of solid kids," Kouns said. "I think even moving up, the Tri-Valley is a league I think we can drop into and actually surprise some people. I don't know if we have two big hitters, but I think we'll be deeper 1-7 than most."

He brings back a returning core of four seniors -- Austin Bending, CJ Pechin, Vinny Grine and Erik Mass -- and junior Zach Bracken he feels will play strong defense and execute at the plate.

Grine, the starting shortstop, will also serve as the team's ace, with Bracken, Cole Brakhage and Caden Wyse all falling in line behind him. His goal for the group is to keep crooked numbers off the board to give the offense a chance to work in runs.

"I think we're going to play defense, without a doubt," Kouns said. "And these guys execute with the bat. They can bunt, hit and run. We're going to have to scratch and claw for every run were going to get, but I'm confident we can make it happen. We've got to eliminate the other team from putting up big innings against us."

Roosevelt

Making the playoffs is something coach Alan Gibson's group has been able to do with some regularity. Getting to the next level has not been, and the RoughRiders would like to end the dry spell.

"I think we have the potential to have a really solid season," Gibson said. "We'll do our darndest to make the playoffs and even do more to get a victory. We haven't had a playoff victory since 2009, but our first mission always has to be focusing to get there."

Roosevelt will enter with two experienced senior pitchers in Daniel Kammerzell and Mason Reinick, with Kane Kratz and Ryan Flynn ready to eat up some innings. Kratz would have played varsity last year as a sophomore if not for an ACL injury.

The experience factor gets better for Gibson, especially up the middle with the return of catcher Mack Morford and shortstop Ray Hernandez, both seniors, both of whom will also play big roles at the plate. Nate Trobee is back after a strong junior year in the outfield, and AJ Clayton is set to finish strong. Brody Stahr, Alex Stewart, Zach Courrejou and transfer Cody Huston will all aid the effort.

"Pitching and defense I think will have to be our constants," Gibson said. "I think that our offense will be OK, too. We have some speed in the lineup with Kratz, Huston and Hernandez, and Mack should be one of the top catchers around, defensively and offensively."